"Can you make her out, Ernest?" asked Tom.
"It is a boat full of men or boys—I don't know which," I replied. "We will run down to her, and see what she is."
"It may be Parasyte."
"Very likely it is," I added, heading the Splash towards the intruder.
"What shall we do if it is?"
"I don't know that we can do anything but keep an eye upon him. I have a great mind to serve him as he did me yesterday—run him down, and sink his boat; but I won't do it."
I decided, however, to give him a scare; and with all sail drawing well, the Splash going through the water at a rapid rate, I ran directly for the row-boat. When we came within a few feet of the intruders, the fate that stared them in the face was too much for their nerves. They sprang to their feet, and begged me not to run them down. It was a startling scene for them; but at that moment I put the helm up, and ran astern of the row-boat, just grazing her as we went by.
"Boat ahoy!" I shouted as I put the helm down, and the Splash came up into the wind on the other side of the row-boat.
"Don't run into us," said one of the boys in the boat, whose voice I recognized as that of Bill Poodles; and by this time I had found that Mr. Parasyte was not one of the party.
"Who are you?" demanded Tom Rush.